


Bare Feet and Warm Hands

by Vita_sine_fantasy_mors_est



Category: Flashpoint (TV)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode Tag, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Post Episode: s03e07 Acceptable Risk, Sam Braddock Feels, Sam Braddock’s sister
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-10
Updated: 2019-07-10
Packaged: 2020-06-25 17:14:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19750183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vita_sine_fantasy_mors_est/pseuds/Vita_sine_fantasy_mors_est
Summary: Episode tag for Acceptable Risk. Sam dealing with the emotions and memories brought up by the museum shooting, Ed helps





	Bare Feet and Warm Hands

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I hope people like this and I hope Ed isn’t out of character and doesn’t talk too much, but I thought it worked for the fic. I can’t believe no one at the SRU checked up on Sam after the museum shooting, so this is my take on what could have happened

"Sam?" 

Sam's head turned toward Ed so fast Ed was worried about whiplash, and then worried about Sam, because that kind of reaction, he knew by now, meant Sam hadn't heard him come in, which was surprising for Sam and did not say anything good about the blonde's state of mind at the moment.

"Yeah boss?"

"You ok Sam?"

Ed thought he saw Sam's eyes start to get a little deer-in-the-headlights look in them as he answered, "I'm fine, it was just a momentary thing it's not going to be a problem, and it won't happen again, I promise."

"Sam, I wasn't asking if it was going to affect your work, I know you, I know you well enough by now to know that you wouldn't let anything get in the way of work. I was asking if you're ok, if you need, anything, as a friend."

"Yeah Ed, I'll be fine, don't worry about me."

"Those aren't the same thing, Sam."

Ed wondered if he'd gone a bit too far when Sam's face turned annoyed.

"I'll be ok and I am ok."

Sam shot back "Maybe I'm just tired, and tired of people trying to get in my business."

"I don't think that's right, I'm not even sure you believe that. I've seen you fake being perfectly fine so well that I didn't realize until you spent half an hour on the punching bag or until my brain dragged up something you'd said or an expression you'd made hours after we'd all left to go home. I'm pretty sure you could have done that tonight, but you didn't."

Ed pushed harder, partly because it was the right thing to do and partly because he wanted to see what would happen.

Sam turned back to his locker, putting away the bottle he'd been holding in his hand and rearranging things in what seemed to Ed like a very superficial attempt to look like everything was fine and he didn't care what Ed had to say.

"Sam, what was it about her? I know you don't have a problem with dead bodies, if you did you'd never have gotten much past basic. And I don't think you have any more of an issue with dead civilians than the rest of us have."

Sam was still pulling things out of his locker and refolding them or neatening them up and very decidedly not looking at Ed. 

"Was it something about the shoes? Or her being barefoot?"

Sam froze for a couple seconds and then resumed ignoring Ed, but his face had gone at least two shades lighter than normal.

Ed softened his voice a bit, he didn't want to trample all over whatever was freaking Sam out, "Sam? What are you thinking of?"

There was a second's pause, and then Sam said very quietly, so quietly that Ed almost didn't hear him, so quietly that Ed wasn't sure he'd meant to say anything, "my sister."

Ed stared at Sam, he didn't know Sam had a sister, or "ohhh, god" he thought before Sam started talking again.

"I had a sister, Hannah, she was five years younger than me. I was in charge of her a lot when we were kids."

And Ed wanted to go find Sam's father and punch him, because the bastard obviously had no idea how to raise kids or be a decent parent.

"I was walking her to the park one day when I was nine and she was four, and we'd stopped at a crosswalk."

Sam was dragging a towel back and forth in his hands as he spoke, not seeming to notice what he was doing.

"And a car came up over the curb and hit her, and it," Sam's voice cracked, "it was so fast and strong and I looked at where she was supposed to be and she'd, she'd been knocked right out of her sandals and they were sitting there, on the ground, right next to me, like nothing had happened, but she wasn't there."

Ed just stood where he was, stunned, for a second, and then moved sideways so he was more in Sam's peripheral vision, and he put a hand on Sam's shoulder, "Sam, I'm so sorry. You were nine, it wasn't your fault, it isn't your fault, it was the fault of the idiot driver who jumped the curb."

Sam put the towel down on the locker shelf and turned his head most of the way back toward Ed, and looked at him without really meeting Ed's eyes, "And for a second when I saw that woman and her bare feet, I was back there again, and I got stuck."

Ed said, "I can imagine. C'mere kid," and pulled Sam into a hug with the hand he had on Sam's shoulder, bringing his other arm up around the younger man.

Sam was stiff as a board for a couple seconds, and then relaxed into the hug, and then, probably to his great embarrassment, started to cry silent sobs that quickly turned into huge, still silent, shoulder shaking sobs. Ed held on and after a little bit, started running one of his hands in circles across Sam's back, and really hoped that no one was about to come into the locker room. He didn't think anyone from the team was around except Greg who was in his office and probably would be until much later, and all the other teams, as far as Ed could remember, were out, either on the streets or off duty.

As Ed was thinking, he felt Sam's arms come up and hold onto Ed, and Ed wrapped his arms a bit tighter around Sam and continued rubbing circles over the blonde's back. After a few minutes, probably, Sam's sobs slowed down and got smaller until he was just standing with his head buried in Ed's chest and his arms around the taller man, and then he turned his head to the side, pulling in deep lungfuls of air. 

Before Sam could say anything, Ed said, "You have nothing to apologize for, Sam, so don't. You want to talk to anyone or punch a bag for a while?"

Sam pulled back from the hug, ran his hands over his face, and shook his head, "I'm just going to go home and sleep."

Ed clapped him on the shoulder, "Well, give me a few minutes to finish up and then we'll head out because you are not going home alone to your sad apartment tonight, you're coming home with me and can crash in the extra bedroom, and then I'll drive you in tomorrow so you don't have to worry about your bike. I'm going to make sure the boss gets out of here before tomorrow and then I'll be back. Don't you dare leave," Ed made sure his voice wasn't completely serious, but serious enough for Sam to get the message.

Ed briefly put a hand on Sam's shoulder, and then left the locker room, leaving Sam to sit down heavily on one of the benches and put his head in his hands. He'd just sobbed into Ed's shirt for a good long while, and he'd told two people about Hannah for the first time in years, and yeah, but Ed hadn't treated him any differently, even if he was probably going to tell the Sarge. But it's Ed, he knows how to deal with people having breakdowns, said part of Sam's brain but Ed wouldn't do that, wouldn't pretend he didn't have an issue with someone on the team when they weren't on a call if he actually did have an issue with them, said another part of Sam's brain, which luckily seemed to be the one in charge.

Sam put the towel away in its proper place and rearranged most of the stuff in the locker just for something to do until he heard footsteps and then Ed's voice, "You ready?"

"Yeah."

Sam lifted his bag on his shoulder and followed Ed out of the locker room. The two of them passed Greg going into the locker room but all he said was, "Night Ed, night Sam."

"Night Sarge."

"Try and get home before tomorrow Boss."

Greg gave Ed a look and went into the locker room.

Ed and Sam passed by the dispatch desk, saying goodnight to Winnie, and went out to Ed's car. The ride to Ed's place was fairly quiet and mostly taken up by music on the radio. 

When they got to the house, Sam grabbed his bag from the car and followed Ed in, a little nervous about barging in on the family. 

Sophie met the two of them inside the door. 

"Hey Sophie."

"I'm so glad you're ok! I was so worried about you, and the team as well!"

Ed pulled Sophie in for a hug and a kiss and when they separated, she turned to Sam.

"It's really nice to see you, Sam." Sophie smiled tiredly, "I made up the spare bedroom for you."

"Thank you, Sophie, I'm so sorry for intruding."

"You're not intruding Sam, don't worry about it." 

Sophie opened her arms toward him and Sam nodded slightly sheepishly. She enfolded him in a warm, strong, comforting hug, which he awkwardly returned after a second. When they separated, she said, "You need anything before we all go collapse in our beds?"

Sam shook his head, "I'm good."

"Let me show you your room."

Sophie led Sam down the hall and into a small but nicely decorated room.

"Here you are. Bathroom's down the hall, kitchen's past that."

"Thanks again, Sophie."

"You are very welcome. I'm glad we have the space. Goodnight Sam."

"Goodnight Sophie."

Sam quickly changed into a sleepshirt and pants, brushed his teeth and hair and collapsed into bed, falling asleep almost immediately.


End file.
